Defending champions Calabar and Edwin Allen hold lead after 3-days of "Champs 2015"

By Patrick R. Anderson

The leading teams are playing their characters so far at the 105th ISSA Grace Kennedy Boys' and Girls' Athletics Championships at the National Stadium.

After three days of drama and gripping competition including the re-running of a sprint relay heat and three records established, the protagonists are setting the pace at these championships.

After 7 finals in the Boys' division, Champions Calabar High are out front on 60-points, Jamaica College 40, Kingston College 33, St. Jago 18, Edwin Allen 16, Petersfield 14, Cornwall College 13 and Eastern Champions Buff Bay High School on 10 points.

In the Girls' competition, Edwin Allen leads with 48 points after 6 finals, followed Hydel High 41, Holmwood Technical 21, St jago High 20.33, Rusea's High 12, Vere Technical 12, Excelsior 11 and Buff Bay High School tied with Wolmer's Girls on 9 points in 8th position.

Calabar's Lamar Reid was sublime when clearing 1.99 metres to set the new standard in the boys' Class-3 High Jump. The old mark was 1.98 metres set by another Calabar athlete Ryan Chambers back in 1993. Reid out performed St. Jago's Vanderleer Palmer 1.81 metres and Herbert Morrison's Javier Hall 1.78 metres for the bronze.

Another Calabar athlete Shakiel Chattoo won the gruelling 2-day Decathlon event ( comprising 10 events) in a new record points tally of 6,988 points for 12 valuable points for Calabar who will be missing from the Class-2 sprint relay final after dropping the baton Wednesday night while running with a huge lead as howling favourites.

On the opening day, Edwin Allen's class-4 girls had set a new record of 46.90 secs in the sprint relay.

Winners of other finals on Thursday are Demar Gayle of Edwin Allen in the boys' class-1 discuss throw with 50.70 metres ahead of Calabar's Warren Barrett Jr 49.95 metres and Petersfield's Sanjae Lawrence 49.65 metres.

In the boys' class-2 Shot Put, KC's Rasheea Downer won with a heave of 16.47 metres ahead of Calabar's Andre Chin 15.53 metres and another Calabar athlete Savion Burke 15.10 metres.

In the girls' class-4 Long Jump Ackelia Smith of Edwin Allen won with 5.34 metres ahead of Samantha Jibbs of Holmwood Technical 5.30 metres and Valissa Brown of Wolmer's 5.23 metres.

In the girls' class-3 High Jump Annia Ashley of Edwin Allen topped the field with a clearance of  1.77 metres, equalling the second highest class-3 high jump performance ever. Lamar Distin of Rusea's was second with 1.74 metres and Anissa Walters of Holy Childwood third  with 1.68 metres.

And Tissanna Hickling of St. Jago won the girls' class-2 long jump with 5.95 metres ahead of Trishauna Hemmings of Glengoffe High 5.88 metres and Nhayilla Renteria of St. Jago third 5.73 metres.

Action begins at 8:15am on Friday's 4th day - known as moving up day - when schools position themselves for Saturday's final day onslaught of 49 finals.

HITZ92FM, TVJ, TVJSN will provide wall to wall coverage, while online 1spotevents.com is where Champs2015 can be viewed worldwide at US$4.99 per day or US$9.99 for the season pass access.